Published on 10/05/2021
Aston University Campus
  • New report on Universities of Technology published jointly by Aston University and London South Bank University
  • Report presents Universities of Technology as solution to UK’s productivity problem
  • It calls on Government to actively support Universities of Technology

Aston University and London South Bank University (LSBU) have today released a new report, ‘Truly Modern Technical Education’, which calls on the government to:

  • Make the lifelong learning account wholly cashable to allow for partial payments and for the balance to be ‘saved’ by learners for later use 
  • Extend the Apprenticeship Levy so employers can use it to sponsor employees through higher technical Level 4 and 5 qualifications
  • Invest in pilot programmes to develop a more collaborative approach between HE and FE
  • Increase funding so over 19 year olds who don’t have a Level 2 qualification are supported to do so
  • Strengthen the link between skills and R&D
  • Increase investment for applied research in Universities of Technology where it is linked to commercial growth that will outweigh the public investment 
  • Encourage universities to create business schools over the next five to 10 years to support their local innovation ecosystem
  • Ensure Universities of Technology play a leading role in the development of local economic or industrial strategies.

UK Universities of Technology focus on the creation and application of technical knowledge to enhance productivity in the economy. They produce research that is quickly applicable to real life and deliver teaching and research working closely with industry and the professions. 39% of students enrolled in UK universities on a technical subject in 2019.

Universities of Technology train the next generation of highly skilled workers including scientists, nurses and engineers and work closely with employers. Examples include: Aston University which plays a leading role in supporting local SMEs through its Centre for Growth and LSBU which trains two-thirds of all building service engineers for the UK construction industry.

  • But UK Universities of Technology currently face major challenges:
  • Funding structures which do not adequately support specialist technical courses have fuelled a homogenisation of higher education 
  • National policymakers’ focus on three-year residential non-technical degrees rather than other higher technical courses which are delivered part-time or to mature students
  • Under-investment in applied research (research that turns innovation and knowledge into enterprise) which limits collaboration with SMEs (which make up 99% of all UK companies) to develop new products and services and drive local economic growth.

Professor David Phoenix, Vice-Chancellor of LSBU, said: “To raise productivity and deliver its ambition to ‘level up’, the Government must actively support the UK’s Universities of Technology by funding the applied research that will help build their reputation and cut through the outdated snobbery about technical education.

“Today, the UK’s Universities of Technology are training the next generation of skilled workers, including scientists, engineers, public servants, medics and nurses. If the Government wants to expand opportunity across the country, they must ensure that all learners that have clear pathways into higher technical qualifications and that Universities of Technology are adequately funded to deliver them.”

Professor Alec Cameron, Vice-Chancellor of Aston University, said: “In this report we present our solution to the UK’s productivity problem. We contend that the UK must join up the two “missing middles” of our economy; Levels 4 and 5 in technical education, and applied research. Both have been underfunded and overlooked in the past and it is time to remedy this if we want every region to thrive. 

“Universities of Technology already exist in the UK; they are working with their local industries to develop a pipeline of skilled workers and their research is directly applied by its business and public sector beneficiaries. We call on Government to reform the way funding works for higher technical skills and applied research to really unleash the potential of Universities of Technology.”

Notes to editors

1.    The report includes an online poll of SMEs which found: 

  • 60% of businesses said that universities should do more/much more to ‘work with local businesses to support them to grow’. 
  • 62% of businesses said that universities should do more/much more to ‘work with local businesses to improve efficiency through new capabilities or processes’.

2.    Key facts about Universities of Technology and higher technical education:

  • A Technical University focuses on the creation, enhancement and application of technical knowledge in order to affect the growth of enterprises and enhance productivity in the economy. It can be characterised in the following ways: 
  • Its teaching is focused on a smaller number of ‘technical’ subjects. 
  • Its research is intended to be quickly applicable to real life, in particular to enhance the productivity of enterprises and of the economy in general. 
  • It undertakes its activities - teaching and research - in intimate engagement with industry and the professions. 
  • Whilst globally competitive it has a strong place-based focus.
  • Higher technical education includes education at sub-degree (Level 4 and 5), degree (Level 6), postgraduate (Level 7) and doctoral (Level 8).
  • 39% of students enrolled in UK universities on a technical subject in 2019. 

3.    How LSBU and Aston University are leading the way on technical education

  • LSBU has one of the most extensive apprenticeship programmes of any UK University with over 2000 apprentices on programme and the widest range of standards available at any Higher Education Institution. The University works with more than 1500 employer partners and around half its courses are accredited by professional bodies. The University has overseen the first merger of its kind between a university and college, through the LSBU Group. In addition to the University, the Group contains South Bank Colleges, South Bank Academies and South Bank Enterprises.
  • Aston University pioneered the placement year model which remains hugely successful and was the first university in the UK to graduate a cohort of Degree Apprentices. Rated highly in the Knowledge Exchange Framework for working with business and supporting local growth and regeneration, Aston University’s long-established track record with successful Knowledge Transfer Partnerships grows year on year with an average eleven fold return on investment delivered for businesses and a recent ‘Best of the Best’ KTP Award from Innovate UK. Aston University is a core partner of the Greater Birmingham and Solihull Institute of Technology, which aims to create a powerhouse for advanced manufacturing and engineering in the region. The Aston Centre for Growth is at the heart of Aston University’s rich ecosystem of leading edge research and pioneering programmes designed to scale up the region’s SMEs. 

For more information contact:

Sue Smith, Head of Press and Communications, Aston University - 07816 788663 s.p.smith@aston.ac.uk

Joe Derrett, Media Manager, LSBU - 07710 559 639 / derrettj@lsbu.ac.uk